Going, going . . .

April 1 and a quarter of 2015 gone already. Can you believe it? All too well. What is the explanataion for time appearing to pass so much more quickly when one grows old? Compare a week, now, with a week when one was five, and it seemed to last forever - the agony of having to wait a whole month for one's birthday. And so on. I read somewhere that scientists are ivestigating the lives of insects who live for only for a day, or even a few hours; the theory being that time passes much morre slowly for them, so that a life of a day seems to them to be a life-span of years. If the explanation could be discovered, maybe a quick injection and at 85 one would still be experiencing a 'normal' life-time, instead of one in which a weekly shopping expedition comes round every second day. Now finding a way to slow down time's winged chariot - that would be useful,

For all you bloggers who down-load ebooks

Hi! Here's Julia's latest news.

I've just put two volumes of an action-packed family saga on the net) 

If you like good page-turners, lots of intermingled story lines set in various locations and involving some sixty three characters and more, these books are definitely for you!    
The story kicks off with a family of four - actually, my own ancestors - about to emigrate from Plymouth, England, to Sydney, Australia. During their six weeks' voyage they encounter other passengers, all of whom have a powerful influence on their very different lives.
The two books cover the period from 1882 - 1893, and you can expect  to become involved in the  successes and setbacks of the the Tapsons' building and fashion businesses. There are passionate, sexy encounters leading to  romance and weddings -and  a birth and death or two, along with a disastrous fire. The theme of our main characters rising in the social scale makes form an  interesting background, while the plot moves through a number of different countries.

The novel is called Coming South, and because it is a lengthy saga with such a broad picture of life in nineteenth century England and Australia, I've published it in two volumes - Volume One, and Volume Two: I'm sure that once you get stuck into Volume One you'll find it pretty impossible not  to go on to Volume Two - you'll just have to find out what happens next!  

So if holidays are ahead, or long flights - or whatever - I think you'll find it good to get involved with Mary, Fred, Susan and John . . .  and then there are many more, such as Agatha and Orlando - not forgetting his horse Zenobia!

Don't forget - you DON'T need to have a Kindle to read these books - you can download them in any of the many media, such as your ipad or even your phone!

'I saw you on television'

Last night I appeared very briefly pm ABC TV, asing a question on the Australian debating programmme Q&A. I suppose I was on the screen for perhaps twenty seconds. This morning a woman came up to me: 'You were on television last night. And your wife. She looked so beautiful.' I asked hokingly, 'Would you like to touch me?' 'Oh, yes!', she said enthusiastically, and grasped my hand. Extraordinary. I certainly wouldn't remember the face of someone I saw on a similar programme for twenty seconds, unless there was something remarkably characteristic about his or her face., which I had to say I don't think is the case in this instance. Dear me, the power of TV - or some people's remarkable addiction to it.

Keep paedophilia in the family

A ten-year-old girl was accosted by a man in a local park recently. She dodged him and rushed home and her mother called the police. Latet the girl's teacher took her aside to ask what had happened at the police station. 'They showed me photos of men to see if I could find the one who had spoken to me in the park.' 'Did you?' asked the teacher. 'No,' replied the girl, 'But I saw one of Uncle Fred.'

Abortion

Students at the University of California were asked by a professor at the department of Medical History for their reaction to the following:
'The father has syphilis, the mother tuberculosis. They have had four children - the first blind, the second died, the third was deaf and dumb, the fourth had tuberculosis. The mther is pregnant with her fifth child. The parents are willing to have an abortion. You have to make the decision.'
Most of the students voited in favour of abortion. Mr Agnew's comment was: 'Congratulations. You have just murdered Beethoven.'

Calling all dancers and good movers!

Hi Julia here!     My ballet teacher had a wonderful series of aphorisms which kept being called out to us! One favourite was 'make friends with the floor!'   This came into my mind about three weeks ago while I was having  one of my Pilates sessions with Brad Leeon who,as well as being a superb Pilates practitioner as an ex- dancer and with a number of other techniques and disciplines in  his experience, as we were working on balance, he said that I must keep grounded,  both  excellent and very similar advice.   The following week  we were working on my balance again and  he suggested that I should try to feel light and free. I came home in a thoughtful mood and began to think that this  was a contradiction in terms.   Keeping light and feel grounded?    So at my last lesson I discussed this with him.  Meanwhile I'd  come to the conclusion that one needed to feel grounded up to various areas of the body, so that for instance, if one was executing something lyrical from the waist  up and needed to keep the lower half of the body very still and controlled, it would be from that area right down that needed to be 'grounded'  He didn't quite agree with me and he felt that the only area of the body that should always to be kept grounded were the feet.  Surely this makes masses of sense in many respects, especially if when en pointe and  psychologically we  are trying to free the weight of the body away from our poor toes!    I leave  the thought with you - no doubt we' ll be taking this theme even further in my next session!   I'll keep you Blogged -  have a little experiment!  Cheers for now - Julia!

on Vladimir Putin

I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to lighten his load by all possible means - except by getting off his back.      - Tolstoy

The triumph of demagogues is short-lived. But the ruins are eternal.     

Tyrrany is always better organised than freedom.     - Peguy

Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.   - Bacon

He who is in love with himself has at least this advantage - he won't encounter many rivals in his love.     - Lichtenberg

Those who insist on thhe dignity of their office show they have not deserved it.     - Cravian.

He who has the greatest power put into his hands will only become the more impatient of any restraint in the use of it.     - Hazlitt

People who have power respond simply. They have no minds but their own.     - Ivy Compton Burnett

However many people a tyrant slaughters he cannot kill his successor.     Seneca